Why does Study Island work?
* Web-based, so students can use it at school or home and can study and learn at their own pace, and there is no software to download or install.
* Dynamic content, with several thousand questions and each question is constantly changing.
* Skills specific, with lessons and practice tests based solely on the Minnesota Academic Standards and specifically designed to prepare students for the MCA-II.
* Better than workbooks, Study Island enables students to interact with thousands of questions, it instantly grades and records student work, and users are able to print custom workbooks.
* Question style similar to the MCA-II, allowing students to get comfortable with the testing style, resulting in reduced test-taking mistakes and improved scores.
* Self paced, because every student learns at a different pace.
* Multiple study modes allow students to choose their style of learning.
* Real-time reporting through a real time report card with statistics for each user session.
DALLAS, Jan. 10, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Archipelago Learning (Nasdaq:ARCL), one of the fastest growing subscription-based online education companies in the country, has announced that its Study Island e-learning system has been named as one of the Top 100 products of 2010 by the readers of District Administration magazine. This annual awards program gives educators the opportunity to nominate products that have made a positive difference in their districts over the past 12 months.
"Our pedagogical framework and implementation model empower educators with a high impact, low cost online system to introduce new skills and concepts, differentiate instruction and engage students in their own learning," said Tim McEwen, chief executive officer of Archipelago Learning. "We are extremely proud of this honor because it reflects our users' opinions and is a direct reflection of the tremendous impact and value that Study Island delivers every day."
Used by more than 10 million students in 23,000 schools across the country, Study Island offers a comprehensive web-based, standards-aligned education program in math, reading, writing, science, and social studies. Its interactive games and instructional model engage students, reinforce accomplishments, and create a culture of academic success. The program is built directly from state standards and the new Common Core State Standards, with cross walks between the two. It also includes inventive practice activities, customized assessments, and reporting tools that help to improve the performance of all students.
In addition, Study Island offers e-learning professional development workshops, which help educators to most effectively use the curriculum, assessment and reporting features and functionality.
Study Island is available for purchase by schools, districts and learning centers, as well as parents and students. More information, along with pricing for individuals and quantity discounts for educational institutions, is available at the Study Island website:
Professional Media Group LLC publishes District Administration, which is one of the most widely read information sources in the industry. On a monthly basis, unique issues, challenges and opportunities faced by K12 district executives are covered, with important and timely information shared on smart management solutions for K12 administrators at school districts throughout the United States. To learn more about the Top 100 Products for 2010,
About Archipelago Learning
Archipelago Learning is a leading subscription-based online education company that provides standards-based instruction, practice, assessments, productivity and reporting tools that improve the performance of educators and students.
The Archipelago Learning,
Study Island, its flagship product line, helps students in kindergarten through 12th grade master grade-level academic standards in a fun and engaging manner and is utilized by over 10.7 million students in approximately 23,355 schools in the United States and Canada. Reading Eggs, an online early literacy program for students ages three to eight, offers skills, strategies and leveled eBooks essential for sustained reading success. EducationCity provides online K-6 instructional content and assessments for reading, mathematics and science and is used by 8,583 schools in the United Kingdom and 5,168 schools in the United States. For the post-secondary market, Northstar Learning offers online instructional content and exam preparation products across a variety of core college curriculum and career licensure areas. Archipelago Learning is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
COAL TOWNSHIP - Darlene Beishline, a middle school teacher of special education and the K-12 facilitator for Study Island in the Shamokin Area School District, has been named as an ambassador for Study Island during the spring of 2010 school term.
Study Island is a computerized software program that is built directly from state standards in each subject area. The program helps K-12 students master grade-level content and prepare for state assessments in a fun and engaging manner. With real-time reporting on student achievement, teachers can easily differentiate instruction to address learning gaps and help students prepare for the PSSA.
At the present time, there are only 40 ambassadors nationwide for Study Island, which serves more than 19,000 schools nationwide (and in Canada).
As an ambassador, Beishline provides input into new features for the program, completes product reviews, and discusses a variety of topics on the ambassador's forum with the other ambassadors. She is on the front line of viewing new products and she earns points through a variety of activities such as teacher trainings, attending webinars, collaborating with other teachers and posting comments on the Study Island Forum. With these points, she can earn incentives for her school district and her classroom.
One of her projects as an ambassador for Study Island was to conduct a case study that evaluated PSSA math outcomes for students in her classes who were exposed to the Study Island program on a (daily/weekly basis). The result of her study revealed that from 2009 to 2010, the percentage of middle school special education students scoring at the proficient level in math on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) jumped from 38.8 percent to 62.5 percent.
Study Island Information for Parents
Harborview has purchased a building license for a great resource called Study Island. Study Island is a web-based program that helps prepare students for Standards Based Testing and Measures of Academic Progress Testing in grades K-6.
Study Island is accessible from school, home, library any location that has an Internet connection. This is a great tool to use with your child throughout the year to review reading, writing and math lessons and play fun games including during summer months!
We are excited about the benefits that Study Island can bring to our students and we encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity by using Study Island.
All students have their own usernames and passwords to log into their Study Island accounts. We will be sending home index cards with student logins before winter break.
Shamokin Area School District began using Study Island to improve the performance of middle school students receiving special education services, and then expanded the implementation to provide standards-based instruction, practice, and assessment to students in grades three through 11. In 2010, for the second year in a row, the district made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) across all areas of the PSSA.
"The main benefits of Study Island are that it helps my students achieve grade level growth, and it gives them a sense of accomplishment," said Beishline. "Many special education students have struggled for so long that they develop a low opinion of themselves…they used to always say, 'I can't do this.' Now we can point to their success in Study Island and they know they can do it."
Study Island
Study Island is a third-party, web-based software package that we at PA Virtual Charter school use as a way to help our students practice, develop, and advance their math, reading, writing, and science skills. From their website, "Study Island is a leading provider of web-based state assessment preparation programs and standards based learning programs." We feel that Study Island does a great job of directly addressing state standards in a way that is both fun and educational to the students.
Your child's username is his or her entire first name entire last name @ PAVCS. For example, Jane Smith's username would be JaneSmith@PAVCS. Please note there are no spaces in the name. Your student's original password is PAVCS. NOTE: If your child's name contains an apostrophe or other unusual character, try the username including the character.
Once logged on, students should not keep the PAVCS password. If you are not prompted to automatically change the password, you should go to My Attributes, in the top left hand corner, to change the password. Please write the new password down. If you forget your password, please use the "Forgot Username and Password" button, email your teacher, or email Amy Nocida. Please remember the site is case sensitive.
Once your child is in logged into Study Island, they should select the grade level that correlates to their grade level, regardless of the level they are working on in the curriculum. Remember, using this site will help your child prepare for the PSSA test they will be taking in the spring, so they should be working on that level in order to receive the most benefit. Also, because Study Island provides parents, students, and teachers with useful data regarding a student's strengths and weaknesses, you should avoid allowing others to use the program under your PAVCS student's username and password. Study Island
Study Island is a standards based learning program that provides targeted instruction to prepare students for success with a standards-based academic program and standardized assessments such as the PSSA exam.
All students may use the Study Island program at home as well as at school to reach their maximum level of academic achievement in reading and mathematics for grades K-12. Writing content is available for grades 5, 8, and 11. Science content is available for grades 4, 8, and 11.Studyisland.com is a website that provides online preparation products that students can use to prepare for state and district examinations.
Visitors begin by selecting their state from the drop down menu or clicking the interactive map. Each state page provides a list of the exam preparation programs available for that state, as well as a video tour and links to free trials for teachers and administrators, and parents and students.
The ‘Products’ tab provides links to a video tour, a price list, a sales brochure, the reading R&R program, which is designed to attract students to reading, and a GED section with preparation products developed for students who will be taking the General Educational Development (GED) exam, a high school equivalency exam.
The ‘Research’ tab provides links to company sponsored research documents, as well as independent foundational research reports and statistical research reports that support the programs offered by the company.
The ‘Success Stories’ tab features links to case studies, student success stories, and video testimonials. The ‘News’ tab features links to the latest company news, contests, and upcoming conferences. The ‘Grants & Funding’ tab displays links to grants and funding available for educators and school administrators, as well as grant writing tips, links to funding assistance, and links to government grants.
The ‘Training’ tab displays links to the training program available for the products offered by the company, as well as links to member only tutorials, online training, and a webinar schedule.
Registration is available to educators and school administrators who purchase school licenses to Study Island programs.
The problem was he was a clicker. He could answer more questions on Study Island than any other student in the school. He figured out, the easiest way to do a session was to just keep clicking on that Enter button And because the questions were multiple choice, he could always get about 25%. Unfortunately for him, his teacher soon caught on to the fact that he was blowing away lessons like a windstorm blowing leaves in an oak woods. He could complete ten questions in about a minute.
Study Island is based on state standards. It is an excellent online learning program that features lessons, and remidiation by bumping students down to lower grade levels if they are unable to pass the tests. Each session features four answer multiple choice questions on a chosen topic. The test is an excellent predicter in the likelihood of students passing the Ohio Achievement Test.
A third grade teacher, Mrs. Kable approached me with this problem. She had a student who was rushing through lessons on Study Island. I picked three Reading Workshop students, Trindi, Dylan, and Jacob to take turns helping this student with his sessions. One goes each day for 20 minutes, rotating so none miss too much class.
The Study Island SAT and the Study Island ACT programs were examined for this review; they are very similar programs with test-specific differences. Both programs are web-based subscription services that can be used by students or teachers at any time from any location—lab, classroom, library, or home. This review will focus on the Study Island SAT program.
Study Island has partnered with Tutor Associates, a one-on-one tutoring company, to offer the SAT (and the ACT) review program. The mathematics portion of Study Island SAT helps students master both computation problems and word problems similar to those used on the test; the verbal portion includes practice for the critical reading and writing sections of the SAT.
Animated interactive instructional videos help students learn key test-taking strategies and help them avoid common pitfalls. The program also provides hundreds of printable flashcards designed to help students practice common SAT vocabulary. Practice exams allow students to get a score estimate. Full-length practice tests can be generated on request.
Subscribing users can log on to an opening page that provides specific user statistics and desired reports. To the left of the screen, a menu offers choices including School Stats, Class Manager, Benchmarking (an add-on at an extra cost), Create New Topic (to generate new practice exercises), New Message, My Attributes, and My High Scores. Below the menu is a list of subscription services available to the user’s school. At the top, users can click on on-screen buttons to link to Emailed Report Manager, Printable User List, and Adjust Student Difficulty.
An SAT button takes the user to a page offering three selections: Math, Verbal, and Practice Tests. The Math option leads to a page with nine math lesson areas and more than 50 specific lessons. The Verbal option leads to a page with nine verbal lesson areas that link to a total of 34 specific lessons, a guide to writing SAT essays, and practice prompts. Check boxes offer a direct link to the selected lesson areas. As students work through a subject, their results are recorded on this page as well.
Once users select a lesson, they are taken to a page that lets them select session options including Test Mode, Classroom Response Systems, Printable Worksheet, or Games. In addition, users can select a number of questions for the session, from a range of 1–20.
Each time the Test Mode or Worksheet options are selected, a different result can be generated. The Games selection links to 28 Java games.
The Classroom Response Systems option provides a page that enables the selection of specific clickers for use in study sessions. The Study Island SAT and ACT programs work with eInstruction’s Classroom Performance System, Promethean’s Learner Response Systems, Qwizdom’s Student Response System, Renaissance’s 2Know! Classroom Response System, SMART Response interactive response systems, and the TurningPoint student response system.
A number of Study Island reports can be used to guide future drill work or to drive classroom instruction. Lists of students can be generated with grading options for each subject, topic, or program. A breakdown of class or student usage for a selected lesson area or program can be generated. The reports can break down information on student performance and can compare individuals or classes by school and state.
The program’s Class Manager function allows teachers to create assignments for individual students and to view student progress. Teachers can see class averages, send messages to all students in a class, or make a class page and class assignments.
Teachers can create custom assessments as needed, choosing questions from either the standard Study Island question bank or from a new question bank designed specifically for the Custom Assessment Builder. (The Custom Assessment Builder is currently available for math and reading in grades 3–8; not all subjects and topics have unique question banks available.)
The Live View feature provides a real-time monitoring system that allows teachers to observe the students’ progress as they work. Live View displays the logged-in students in a class, the assignments and the topics they are working on, the number of questions correct out of the number of questions attempted, and more.
The program includes several additional helpful features. A parent notification system automatically notifies parents of student progress by email. A text-to-speech option enables students to select whole questions, parts of questions, or individual words to be read aloud. The message center offers an area for student and teacher communication.
Study Island is an online test preparation tool which incorporates computer games into learning. Since introducing it at Woodglen during the 2007-2008 school year, our students have taken an instant liking to it.
In Study Island, students answer questions which are linked to the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards in math and language arts. Science is also included for eighth graders. A variety of computer games are incorporated. As students answer questions correctly, they earn playing time. Student progress, number of questions answered, and high scores are logged, allowing students to challenge themselves and teachers to track their progress. Kim Holloway cheers students on as they work to earn blue ribbons in the Study Island lab. Study Island was purchased for the school by the PTO and Local Sales Network. Pictured, from left, are Anysia Crew, Holloway, Mauricio Cardoso, Jimmy Ramos and Madison Jarrett. Herald-Citizen Photo/Ty Kernea
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PUTNAM COUNTY -- Online learning has taken hold at the high school level and Study Island is helping elementary students in some county schools learn in an online format as well.
"Study Island is an online, standards-based practice program for children," Kim Holloway, Title teacher at Park View Elementary School explained.
The program is designed for students from kindergarten all the way through high school and offers lessons with accompanying games that help students master learning standards set by the state.
"For each grade level, the state gives us standards and skills that we have to teach to every child," Holloway explained. "These games and lessons are based on those standards according to what state you live in."
Schools can buy a site license and set up accounts for their students, allowing student access to Study Island learning tools from home, in the classroom computer labs or in after school programs.
"You can play in two different modes," Holloway explained.
In test mode, students are given a question to answer.
"If you are working on addition facts in the math program it will give you some math problems and you have to choose which ones is the right answer," Holloway said.
If they answer the question correctly, a game pops up for the student to play.
"Then after you get to play the game you go back and it asks you another question," Holloway said.
There are about 50 different games for the students to play.
"The way that we use it in the lab is, there are 10 questions. If you get at least seven of those 10 questions correct, you get a blue ribbon," Holloway said. "When you get a blue ribbon, you can play for the rest of the class time in game mode. Meaning, you can answer the questions and play the fun games.
"I use the blue ribbons to get them to focus on the questions and the information that the questions are asking."
Although the program is not being used by all elementary schools in the county yet, a several schools have implemented the program, Holloway said.
Park View began using the program last spring.
With the help of the Park View Parent Teacher Organization, Park View purchased the rights to use the program for math and reading first.
"Our third grade teachers were worried about science and social studies because their kids were low in that so we went to Local Sales Network and asked them to purchase another component, science and social studies, for the third graders and they did that," Holloway said.
In one of the games, students chase an animal through a maze, they must follow the animal with the right letter of the correct answer.
Read more: Herald Citizen - Study Island gives students interactive learning experience
Affordable Online Graphic Novel Reading Intervention Program for K-12 Students
Using rich, visual illustrations in conjunction with the written word, the Study Island Reading: Revisited and Reconsidered program is designed to actively engage and assist struggling readers, reluctant readers, avoidance readers, and English language learners. Our primary aim is to help students revisit what reading means and reconsider what they think literature can be.
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Parents often have to convince their kids to stop playing video games and do their homework. But now some schools are using video games in their curriculum to teach students some very important lessons.
Not only do students at IS 123 get to play educational video games, they have a choice of games to play.
"I played the home run derby game," student Desiree Rojas said. "It's fun because you have to get the answer as soon as possible before the ball passes you."
The games are generated by a Web-based program called Study Island, which is an important part of the curriculum at IS 123.
"It actually taught me how to divide and how to multiply," student Nyla Jones said.
Study Island is more than just fun and games. It is designed to help students study materials that meet the academic requirements in each subject, for each state where the program is used.
The games are similar to those kids already like to play. They earn the privilege of playing by scoring high on Study Island tests, which help educators keep track of student progress.
"It's material that's tested on the state test, so it's not that they're throwing in just basic level stuff," teacher Christina Varghese said. "They're actually giving them stuff that they need to know for the test, so because it's standards based, I really love it."
"It gives you more chances to make up what you got wrong," student Krizya Gutierrez said. "And if you got something wrong, it offers you an explanation."
IS 123 principal Virginia Connelly considers Study Island to be a successful part of the school's overall strategy.
"We've used it very extensively in math," she said. "And we've had tremendous growth in our math scores over the past three years, the same amount of time that we've been using it."
Study Island costs between $2,500 and $3,500 per year for each school. There are other ways of supplementing school curriculums, but educators at IS 123 feel it is worth the investment.
Back to school isn’t just for kids. Thanks to programs like Parent University, hundreds of adult learners are tackling new subjects this fall. On Sept. 15, dozens of CMS parents attended a Study Island workshop at Bailey Middle School.
Study Island is a web-based tool designed to prepare students for their End-of-Grade (EOG) tests. Students are tested on objectives based on the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. Parents were invited to learn more about Study Island to help their children master coursework.
“It's a pretty good way for them to get that extra practice, specifically in reading and math, the two things they're tested on in the End-of-Grade tests,” said Cathy Bell, who is a Study Island consultant. “It’s also great for when there is a snow day because this gives them something to work on.”
The program features traditional assessments and interactive games where students answer questions that provide immediate feedback. If an answer is wrong, the program explains why.
“If they're not doing well on math problems, teachers can look at the data and find out what problems they are having trouble on,” Bell said.
One of the unique features about this program: teachers can compare their class test results to others at the same school. They can also look at how the school is doing compared to others in the district and state. Teachers can also e-mail parents their child’s report.